Her Excellency Aja Dr Isatou Njie-Saidy, vice president and secretary of state for Women's Affairs, last Friday, received in her office the UNHCR Regional Representative for West Africa, Ms Rosaline Idowu.

Speaking to journalists shortly after having audience with VP Njie-Saidy, Ms Idowu said her meeting with the vice president was meant to extend UNHCR's gratitude to the government and people of The Gambia for having accommodated refugees in The Gambia, dating back to 1980, including Casamance and Liberian refugees.

She said the government of The Gambia in collaboration with UNHCR have been supporting refugees from Casamance, who settled in the Western Region for the past three years. Ms Idowu said that it was now time for all these refugees to have a 'coping mechanism.'

"We [UNHCR] decided that the refugees should have their coping mechanisms and we will have them for one more year; that is 2009. So I came to discuss with the vice president the various methodologies we are going to use and we want the government to help us about their legal status. They have passed a refugee bill to see what kind of status they can give them to live like any normal foreigner in the country," the UNHCR regional representative revealed.

She thanked the government of The Gambia for the support and care given to the refugees at all times, and expressed hope that this cordial relationship will grow from strength to strength.